Sonari Glinton
Sonari Glinton is a NPR Business Desk Correspondent based at our NPR West bureau. He covers the auto industry, consumer goods, and consumer behavior, as well as marketing and advertising for NPR and Planet Money.
In this position, which he has held since late 2010, Glinton has tackled big stories including GM's road back to profitability and Toyota's continuing struggles. In addition, Glinton covered the 2012 presidential race, the Winter Olympics in Sochi, as well as the U.S. Senate and House for NPR.
Glinton came to NPR in August 2007 and worked as a producer for All Things Considered. Over the years Glinton has produced dozen of segments about the great American Song Book and pop culture for NPR's signature programs most notably the 50 Great Voices piece on Nat King Cole feature he produced for Robert Siegel.
Glinton began his public radio career as an intern at Member station WBEZ in Chicago. He worked his way through his public radio internships working for Chicago Jazz impresario Joe Segal, waiting tables and meeting legends such as Ray Brown, Oscar Brown Jr., Marian MacPartland, Ed Thigpen, Ernestine Andersen, and Betty Carter.
Glinton attended Boston University. A Sinatra fan since his mid-teens, Glinton's first forays into journalism were album revues and a college jazz show at Boston University's WTBU. In his spare time Glinton indulges his passions for baking, vinyl albums, and the evolution of the Billboard charts.
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Most Americans have never heard of the fuel E15 — and that could be part of the problem. The auto club says drivers unfamiliar with E15 could fill up with the gasoline accidentally and damage some vehicles. Ethanol producers and the renewable fuels lobby say that's nonsense.
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The race to make cars more fuel efficient means automakers are spending a lot more time in wind tunnels to get that sleek look. The result? A convergence in the way cars look.
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The idea behind Small Business Saturday is to direct consumers to mom-and-pop stores that probably didn't get swamped by the Black Friday bonanza. These small businesses might not have the best deal on a TV, but experts say they are an important factor in overall economic recovery.
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Black Friday is seeping into Thanksgiving Day, a new trend dubbed "Gray Thursday." Brick-and-mortar stores have been competing with online retailers that have been scooping up early holiday shoppers. But it's unclear whether the extra effort it takes to open on Thanksgiving is worth it.
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Electric automaker Tesla's new Model S has received a lot of praise from the automotive press for breaking the stigma on electric cars. The challenge for the young, Silicon Valley company is to see if it can get non-car enthusiasts to get behind the wheel.
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Despite the danger, millions of people continue to text or email while driving. The desire to stay connected is often hard to resist, so here are a few tips to help keep your hands on the wheel.
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After voting for Barack Obama in 2008, the state went for Mitt Romney Tuesday night. It also elected Republican Mike Pence as governor. There was an exception to the red tide that swept across the Hoosier state. Democrats picked up a Senate seat once held by outgoing Republican Richard Lugar.
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Since Republican Richard Mourdock made a controversial comment about rape, his opponent has been trying to pick up the voters Mourdock may have lost. But not everyone has turned away from him. Meanwhile, outside money has been pouring in.
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As the presidential race zeroes in on Ohio, and the auto industry gets renewed focus in the all-important swing state, Mitt Romney's campaign touted the backing of former Chrysler CEO Lee Iacocca and the company's former president, Hal Sperlich.
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Catholic voters are an important constituency in the Buckeye State, representing about 26 percent of voters. But different issues bring out different Catholic voters, a theologian explains. Some voters stress the church's teaching on issues like abortion, while others focus on social justice.